Friday 26 January 2018

Check the Guy's Track Record


Marc Riley paid warm tribute to former gaffer Mark E.Smith on Wednesday evening, when announcing Smith's death on 6Music. Their relationship wasn't always a smooth one (can anyone claim to have had a truly smooth relationship with MES?), but Riley acknowledged that Smith '...taught me a lot about life and he taught me a lot about music. The Fall were my favourite band when I joined and they were still my favourite band when I got kicked out.'

MES could be cantankerous, funny, ornery, mischievous, confrontational, grumpy, chivalrous, obnoxious, uncompromising, charming, single-minded, exasperating.....plus a thousand other things that made him the complex human being he undoubtedly was, but the unique noises he made with The Fall for over 40 years were wonderful, frightening and often utterly gobsmacking, right until the very end. We'll not see his like again.

The Fall - Auto Chip 2014-2016 

The Fall - Couples vs Jobless Mid 30s


10 comments:

Rickety Rackety said...

Just about the only person in 'rock' who it was worth your time and money. Truly upsetting news. Long live The Fall.

Ramone666 said...

Amen to that, Swede.

Brian said...

That last sentence sums it up succinctly.

Echorich said...

None of the poets, artists, writers or musicians that MES has ever been compared with or listed among had or have had the length of career staying true to their art. I keep going back to the word singluar.

drew said...

I still can’t warm to that final album. But you are right about the fact that we will not see his likes again, which my life will be very happy about.

drew said...

Wife not life. Bloody iPad

The Swede said...

I'll never play those last few albums as often as the earlier ones, they're far more patchy affairs, but there were always moments to savour.

JC said...

An excellent tribute......thnak you.

Chris said...

Mark E Smith didn't look well in recent times. A sad loss and inexcusable he wasn't honored in the 'in memoriam' section at the recent Grammy awards.

WmPerry said...

Man, I loved the Fall since 'Grotesque' came out but I've been mad at Mark since 'extricate' or the 1 after. Mad in a wierd personal way "Oh Mark, you're making poor decisions." Oh Mark i wish you hadn't realized you could fake it by chanting some word/phrase over a good bass line"
Or even "oh Mark, you are wrong about your capacity for drink"
So i've been sort of sad about MES for same time and now he's dead andi'm fucking sad/angry and want to kick him in the balls for dying thus.
Ikeep searching 'cause of death' hoping it wont be essentially "ravages of alcohol" like jason molina

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